Archive for September, 2008

The Secret Money Project

Tuesday, 09/30/08 Posted in Broadcast, Campaign Finance, Politics

The Secret Money Project, a joint endeavor by the Center for Investigative Reporting and NPR, tracks the influence of hidden money from independent groups funding advertising campaigns during the 2008 ... Read more..

Army missteps handling chemical weapon disposal plant

Monday, 09/29/08 Posted in Environment, Military

Matthew D. LaPlante of The Salt Lake Tribune found that the U.S. Army made several errors in its attempts to dispose of Utah's stockpile of lewisite, a now-illegal agent similar ... Read more..

Central Ohio fire departments missing the national response standard

Monday, 09/29/08 Posted in CAR

The National Fire Protection Association says that firefighters should get to a site within 6 minutes, 90 percent of the time. Using state fire-run data, Doug Caruso, Martin Rozenman and ... Read more..

Sewage cleanup plan not enough to repair polluted waterway

Monday, 09/29/08 Posted in CAR, Environment

A special report by the Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.) looks at Beargrass Creek, a polluted waterway that runs through Louisville, Kentucky, and finds that an $800 million sewage cleanup plan won't be ... Read more..

Indianapolis city employees are abusing parking placards

Thursday, 09/25/08 Posted in Government (federal/state/local)

An investigation by Tom Spalding and Heather Gillers of the Indianapolis Star has led to a policy change regarding special parking placards in Indianapolis. Some have been using the special ... Read more..

St. Louis towing lot illegally sold impounded cars

Thursday, 09/25/08 Posted in Business, Government (federal/state/local)

Reporters Joe Mahr, David Hunnand and Jeremy Kohler of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have uncovered a scandal involving St. Louis police and a private towing contractor. St. Louis police, who ... Read more..

“Mitchell Report” for NFL shows history of drug use

Wednesday, 09/24/08 Posted in Sports

Using media reports, archives, public records and interviews with players and personnel, Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune compiled a "Mitchell Report" for the NFL. The list identifies ... Read more..

Head of McCain’s transition team lobbied for Freddie Mac

Wednesday, 09/24/08 Posted in Campaign Finance, Politics

Newly released Congressional documents show that the lobbying firm of William Timmons Sr., who Republicans say has been tapped to lead Sen. John McCain's transition committee, receive $260,000 this year ... Read more..

NY state misappropriating fees collected from cell phone tax

Monday, 09/22/08 Posted in Government (federal/state/local)

An investigation by Michelle Breidenbach of The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y) shows that a $1.20 cell phone tax intended for upgrades to 911 technology is being misappropriated. Only six ... Read more..

Cluster of foreclosures linked to loose lending practices

Monday, 09/22/08 Posted in Housing, Real Estate

Cary Spivak and Daniel Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel identified the four inner city neighborhoods hit the hardest by the mortgage meltdown in Milwaukee and zeroed in on the ... Read more..